The Good News…The Bad News…Week of February 24, 2017

By Maggie Badore

We’re in a race against time to solve climate change. Can the good news catch up to the bad?

#NoDAPL protesters faced a heartbreaking eviction and much of the U.S. is worryingly warm, but there’s good news on the clean tech front.

The Good News

ELECTRIC VEHICLE SALES ON THE UP AND UP

Last year saw record sales of electric vehicles, with growth set to continue in 2017. One study predicts that the plug-in vehicle market will increase by 60 percent this year. More and more companies are offering employees access to charging stations at work, which is part of the trend encouraging clean vehicle sales. Read More

CALIFORNIA AND MASSACHUSETTS CONSIDER 100% RENEWABLE GOALS

Two state legislatures are eyeing ambitious clean-energy targets. Bills have been introduced in both Massachusetts and California that would require all electricity to be generated from renewable sources like wind and solar. The California bill sets a 2045 deadline, while the Massachusetts bill aims to eliminate fossil fuels from the state by 2050. Read More

IVANKA SHOWS PARIS SOME LOVE

This morning, news broke that Ivanka Trump and her husband intervened on behalf of the Paris Agreement, which sets a goal of limiting global warming. The couple succeed in urging President Trump to cut language from an upcoming executive order that criticized the international deal. Read More

The Bad News

WATER PROTECTORS EVICTED FROM PIPELINE PROTEST CAMP

Oceti Sakowin, the main camp of the Dakota Access Pipeline protesters, was cleared after a Wednesday deadline set by the Army Corps. Many protestors voluntarily left the site, with some setting tents alight with ceremonial fire. Other protesters remained, and over 50 people were arrested Wednesday and Thursday. Read More

PRUITT EMAILS RELEASED

On Tuesday the Oklahoma Attorney General’s office released email correspondence between Scott Pruitt and members of the fossil fuel industry. Although a win for transparency, the emails reveal an uncomfortably close relationship between the regulator and the regulated, with many instances of Pruitt signing his name to documents written by the industry. It seems unlikely that the revelations will cause Pruitt much trouble in his new role as the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Read More

LOVE THE WEATHER, HATE THE CHANGE

Across the U.S., many people are enjoying mild temperatures and unseasonably warm days. But the nice February weather also represents dozens of record-breaking temperatures, an indicator of global warming. These spring-like temperatures also disrupt local ecosystems, with negative consequences for crops and wildlife alike. Read More

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Maggie Badore

Web Director

Maggie Badore is an environmental journalist and the Web Director for The YEARS Project. She previously served as an editor for TreeHugger.com, and has contributed work to CivilEats, Mother Nature Network and Real Detroit Weekly.